Device to indicate an atmospheric condiction



Sept. 1, 1952. c. D. GELATT ETA;

DEVICE TO INDICATE AN ATMOSPHERIC COND ITION Filed May 13, 1940 SrwentorS utm nous Patented Sept. 1 1942 DEVICE. TO INDICATE AN ATMOSPHERIC CONDITION Charles D. Gelatt and Adrian P. Brietzke, La Crosse, Wis., assignors to Northern Engraving & Manufacturing Company, La Crosse, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 13, 1940, Serial No. 334,766

4 Claims. (C1. 73-367) This invention relates to indicating devices, it more particularly relating to indicating devices which are operated by an element which is responsive to varying atmospheric conditions such as temperature or humidity.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide indicating devices of the character referred to which can be combined with an attractive name plate element into one structure in such a way as to save the expense of a separate name plate on a structure equipped with indicating devices of the kind referred to.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which can be easily assembled and readily installed upon the structure with which it is associated, such for instance as the door of a refrigerator.

Another object of the invention consists in a novel construction which enables th instrument to be brought into proper alignment and calibration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coil responsive to varying atmospheric conditions which may be readily calibrated.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the accompanying description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the instrument shown applied to a structure, such as the door of a refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view partly in transverse section of a portion of the instrument.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view partly in longitudinal section of a portion of the instrument.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view partly in vertical section of a portion of the instrument.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged transverse section of some of the parts shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 with the operating shaft omitted.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the bi-metal coil showing a modification.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section of a coil responsive to varying degrees of humidity.

Referring to the drawing, the device in the present case is shown applied to the door of a refrigerator, a small section of the door at the point where the device is applied being indicated at I. In order to install the instrument the door of the refrigerator or other structure to which the instrument is to be applied is provided with a 5.5 the -coil expands or contracts the shaft comparatively small bore to snugly receive a removable tube 2. The outer end of this tube has secured thereto in any suitable way the rear wall 3 of a housing which is positioned on the outside Y of the refrigerator door shown in the present wall 4 in the presentcase is shown of concavoconvex shape so as to provide an inner chamber 5, but may be otherwise formed, and is also cut away to form a window 5 which is closed by a transparent disk I which is clamped between the wall 4 and the out-turned flange 3, of the inner wall 3'. The outer wall is also provided with a stationary pointer 8 which extends in a vertical direction across the window midway the length thereof.

This front wall constitutes a name plate and, for ornamental purposes and to provide a place for indicia such as the name of the refrigerator or other structure with which the instrument is associated, the outer surface of the wall has a series of embossed scrolls 9 and the pointer 8 has an extended embossed ornamental base In. The upper and lower portions of the outer wall are also provided with indicia-receiving spaces H and I2 to receive suitable indicia such as the name of the manufacturer and the name of the refrigerator and the type of the refrigerator.

Rotatably mounted in the tube 2 is a shaft [3, the outer end of which projects into the chamber 5 and has secured thereto in the present case an indicating dial in the form of a disk M which bears suitable indicia to cooperate with the stationary pointer 8 to indicate temperature. This indicia in the present case consists of a colored zone l5 accompanied by the words Warm and ,Cold. Preferably another one of these zones together with the words is placed on the disk diametrically opposite to the one shown to facilitate; assembly, as shown in dotted lines.

I The devices so far described constitute one part of the instrument. The other part in the construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6 consists of a temperature responsive element constructed of a bi-metallic coil l6 having different expansible and contractible properties, the coils of which are flat with the outer end of the coils connected to a cylindrical cup IT by soldering it beneath an integral lip ll and the inner ends adapted to be detachably connected with the shaft l3 so that as l3 together with the disk M will be rotated. The cup I! is provided with an extended centrally positioned bushing I8, permanently attached thereto, which receives the inner end of the tube 2. The inner end of the tube'Z has two diametrically opposite projections l9 and also near the end thereof has two diametrically opposite cross grooves 20. The inner end of the shaft [3 is provided with a groove 2| the mouth or open end of which is flared. The outer projecting end of the bushing I8 is provided with a pair of diametrically op..-. posite slots 22 which are adapted to be brought into registry with the grooves 20. That part of the bushing which is in the cup is reduced to form a stop 23 for the end of the tube 2 when it is inserted in the bushing and the reduced portion is provided with two diametrically opposite slots 24 which receive the projections I-9 on the end of the tube to thereby serve to give proper alignment to the two parts of the instrument.

A substantially U-shaped spring clip 25 has its legs normally positioned in the slots 22 of the bushing and when the parts are being assembled the projections l9 contacting with thebevelled legs of the spring clip force the same outwardly and they are held out by that portion of the tube between the projections l9 and grooves until the grooves come in alignment with the slots 22 whereupon the legs of the clip snap into the groove 29 and automatically connect the parts together. The projection l9, entering the slots of the stop portion 23 of the bushing serve to bring the slots 20 and 22 into alignment.

When the parts are thus assembled the groove 2| in the end of the shaft I9 has received the fiat lip IS on the inner end of the bi-metal coil so as to automatically connect the shaft with the inner end of the coil. By reason of the fact that the indicating dial has the identical diametrically opposite indicia, this groove may engage the lip of the coil in eitherof two positions 180 apart, which facilitates assembly.

A cylindrical cup-shaped casing 26 is permanently attached to the cup I! in any suitable way, such as by soldering and projects beyond the cup so as to enclose the bushing, the wall of the casing havingdiametrically positioned slots 2E5. The parts are so proportioned that when assembled the inner wall 3 of the outer housing and the edge of the casing 26 will fit snugly against the respective sides of the refrigerator door or other member to which the instrument is applied to hold the parts frictionally in-position. If at any time it is necessary to disassemble the parts it is only necessary toinsert a suitable tool such as a hook through one of the slots to engage and pull off the spring clip 25 after which the two parts of the instrument may be readily separated.

Under some conditions it may be undesirable to have two different positions for the dial l4 and to prevent this the dial may be provided with a concentric slot 2? into which extends a pin 28 carried by the rear wall 3 of the front housing so as to limit the travel of the disk to less than 180. Also, one of the projections l9 and one of the slots 24 in the bushing which receives these projections may be made larger thanthe other corresponding projection and slots sothat engagement could take place between the same only in one position, or only a single'projection l9 and slot 24 could be employed.

In Fig. 8 there 'is shown a modification in which an expansible split spring ring 29 is emwith relatipn to the cup to permit ready calibration of the instrument during manufacture.

In Fig. 9 is shown an element responsive to varying conditions of humidity which may be used when the instrument is to indicate humidity. It consists of a coil one member 30 of which is soft metal such as annealed brass and the other member 3! of which is a material such as unsized paper which readily absorbs moisture. The outer end is connected to a fixed member (not shown) such as the cup ll previously described, and the inner end has a fiat lip 33 which fits in an open slot of the shaft 32, this shaft corresponding to the shaft I3 previously de scribed and carrying an indicating member (not shown) such as the indicator Hi. This coil may also be adjustably connected to the cup through the medium of a split spring ring such as the ring 29, if desired.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an instrument of the character described, an indicating device formed in two units, one unit comprising an element responsive to different atmospheric conditions which impart a movement to said element, and a stationary enclosure in which said element is located, the other unit comprising a housing, a tube having one end thereof connected with said housing, a rotatable shaft in said tube and an indicating member connected with said shaft and located in said housing, in connection with means for connecting said shaft with said responsive element and means for connecting the other end of said tube with said stationary enclosure, said latter means comprising a bushing secured to the stationary enclosure into which said other end of the tube extends, said bushing having a pair of diametrically disposed slots extending through the Wall thereof, said other end of the tube having a pair of diametrically disposed grooves in registry with said slots and a U- shaped spring clip having its legs extending in said slots and grooves to lock the bushing and the tube.

2. In an instrument of the character described, a temperature indicating device formed in two units, one unit comprising a temperature responsive element consisting of a bi-rnetal coil and a normally stationary enclosure in which said coil is located, the other unit comprising a housing, a tube having one end thereof connected with said housing, a rotatable shaft in said tube and an indicating member connected with said shaft and located in said housing, in connection with means for connecting said shaft with the inner end of said coil and means for connecting the other end of said tube with said stationary enclosure, said latter means comprising a bushing secured to the stationary enclosure into which said other end of the tube extends, said bushing having a pair of diametricallydisposed slots extendingthrough the wall thereof, said other end of the tube having a pair of diametrically disposed groovesin registry with said slots and a U-shaped spring clip having its legs extending in said slots and grooves to lock the bushing and the tube.

3. In an instrument of the character described, a temperature indicating device formed in two units, one unit comprising an element responsive to different atmospheric conditions which impart a movement to said element, and a normally stationary enclosure in which said element is located, the other unit comprising a housing, a stationary indicating member carried by said housing, a tube connected with said housing, a rotatable shaft in said tube and an indicating member connected with said shaft to cooperate with said stationary indicating memher and located in said housing, in connection with means for connecting said shaft with said responsive element in a predetermined position and means for connecting the other end of said tube with said stationary enclosure in a predetermined position whereby calibration of said indicating member is avoided after the parts are installed, said latter means comprising a bushing secured to the stationary enclosure into which said other end of the tube extends, said bushing having a pair of diametrically disposed slots extending through the wall thereof, said other end of the tube having a pair of diametrically disposed grooves in registry with said slots and a U-shaped spring clip having its legs extending in said slots and grooves to lock the bushing and the tube.

4. In an instrument of the character described, a temperature responsive element consisting of a bi-metal coil, a cup in which said coil is located, a bushing carried by said cup, a housing, a tube having one end connected with said housing and adapted to extend through the structure to which the instrument is applied, the other end of said tube having diametrically positioned grooves and said bushing having diametrically positioned slots adapted to register with said grooves, a U-shaped spring clip adapted to enter the grooves and slots to connect the bushing and tube, the end of said tube having at least one projection adapted to enter a slot in said bushing to locate the tube in a predetermined position, a, rotatable shaft in said tube having one end provided with a slot to receive a lip on the inner end of said coil to connect the same therewith, an indicating member in said housing connected with the other end of said shaft, and a stationary indicating member carried by said housing and cooperatiang with said movable indicating member, the front wall of said housing having a window to expose the relative positions of said indicating members.

CHARLES D. GELATT. ADRIAN P. BRIETZKE. 

